Achieving Great Sound Remotely

Advances in audio technology now mean smaller studios can do the same work as larger facilities without compromising on quality.

Increased Internet speeds have made it possible to transfer large files quickly and efficiently; coupled with realtime streaming direct from Pro Tools, online feedback and approvals and remote audio post is now coming to fruition.

Brown Bear Audio is a company leading the way in this field having developed their unique cloud based workflow. Headed up by Dubbing Mixer and Sound Designer Thomas Dalton they aim to make it easy and cost effective for a producer to get their content mixed and finished by experienced engineers in a professional suite.

"We launched the remote side of Brown Bear in August 2015 as a catalogue of our work was already being done that way and we wanted to streamline the whole process to make it as easy and flexible as possible," explains Thomas.

Clients can upload their files, typically an OMF or AAF and reference video, so the team can get to work on them. Review and sign off can be done in several ways including streaming HD video and audio direct from Pro Tools to a browser or dedicated app, this allows clients to attend virtual studio sessions and interact with the engineer to make changes in realtime. Reference files can also be reviewed through Brown Bear's online portal enabling clients to mark up frames and add notes at specific timecodes, all without having to download the file first.

Thomas says of the workflow: "We spent time developing our workflow to make it as flexible as possible whilst ensuring the audio post stage is still a collaborative one."

With a team of remote composers, sound designers and mixers Brown Bear cover everything from broadcast adverts and digital content to longform TV and film.

"Brown Bear is about bringing together talented and creative engineers. Having a flexible and scalable team allows us to work on multiple parts of the soundtrack at the same time, speeding up the production process and ensuring we always deliver on time. It's also great for projects requiring quick turnarounds," enthuses Thomas.

With budgets constantly being squeezed and without the huge overheads of running a large facility, cloud based audio is definitely a way to save money. It's also a great way for smaller production companies, where the video editor may be tasked with the audio post, to improve the production value of their content by outsourcing it to professionals.

Brown Bear HQ is based in Brighton where clients are always welcome to attend sessions in person. Their facilities include Pro Tool 12 with surround monitoring by Dynaudio and a vocal booth for voiceovers and ADR.

"We are really excited about the future of remote working as it has so many benefits, not just in the financial savings that can be made but also to the quality of life of our engineers. Not having to commute day in, day out is the way forward," Thomas concludes.

With clients including the BBC and EMI in their cave it looks like remote audio post is now a viable option for content creators.

www.brownbearaudio.co.uk

This article is also available to read at BFV online as part of this issue's Audio feature here, page 41.

(JP/LM)